Police probe mass brawl in front of mums and toddlers

Charles Graham

Up to eight bare-chested men brawled and battered each other outside a Wigan takeaway - as mums and toddlers attending a neighbouring nursery looked on in horror.

One man had his hand sliced open after he was slashed with a shard of glass in the Friday morning rush hour fight on Greenough Street.

There were people armed with weapons and then more turned up in cars to fight

Another man was seen to be armed with a metal bar in the fight outside the McDonald’s drive-thru.

The violence was witnessed by several parents and their pre-school children as they arrived at the adjoining Busy Bees nursery.

One onlooker said: “It was an absolutely disgraceful scene: not the sort of thing you want young children to witness particularly. There were people armed with weapons and then more turned up in cars to fight.”

Another said: “It was absolutely disgusting. When I arrived there at about 10am, police were around and a man was being handcuffed.”

A Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said that a 22-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and was being questioned by officers.

No ambulance was called because the only person with a serious injury - the man with the slashed hand - had driven off before emergency treatment could be sought. However, it is believed that he did later attend Wigan Infirmary under his own steam.

The spokeswoman said that it had been reported that between six to eight men, all of whom had removed their shirts, were fighting in Greenough Street at around 9.10am on Friday and that one was armed with a piece of glass and another with a metal bar.

No other arrests were made.

Anyone with information is asked to ring police on 101, quoting crime number 0529 of may 19 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.